ORLANDO, Fla. – One starting forward hails from Serbia and Montenegro. The starting center is from Spain. A backup shooting guard is from Slovenia. One reserve center is from France and another from the Congo.

The Lakers have always been L.A.’s team, but now they might be the world’s favorite team, too, what with five foreign-born players among the 12 who dressed for Friday night’s game against the Orlando Magic.

Vladimir Radmanovic (Serbia and Montenegro), Ronny Turiaf (France) and Sasha Vujacic (Slovenia) comprised a small group of European-born and trained players on the Lakers’ roster when they opened training camp in Honolulu back in October.

Now their ranks have swelled.

The Lakers signed DJ Mbenga (Congo) to a 10-day contract last month, then to a second one Feb.1. Then they dealt for Pau Gasol (Spain) from the Memphis Grizzlies on the same day.

Conversations on the team’s bus and chartered airplane have taken on a new tone, one that reflects the international makeup of the Lakers’ roster.

And it’s not just away from the court either.

Kobe Bryant said he’s been speaking Spanish to Gasol on the floor, the better the confuse opponents who have no clue that Bryant might be explaining the next play to his teammate right in front of them.

“We were in New Jersey the other night and Marcus Williams is guarding me and Kobe said something to Pau and Williams said, `This dude is speaking Spanish now?”‘ Lakers guard Jordan Farmar said with a laugh Friday.

Bryant speaks Spanish and Italian, having lived in Europe for a time while his father, Joe, played abroad after his NBA career.

Gasol said he’s looking forward to playing his first game in L.A. as a Laker. He said he has always had a strong connection to Southern California’s large Spanish-speaking population, even though most are from Mexico or Central America.

“We feel related just by the language,” Gasol said. “We feel real close there. We’re not from the same country or continent, but at the same time I think the language brings us very, very close. It’s cool.

“Everywhere I go, since my first year, the Latino community has always been very supportive. It’s always a good feeling to get that kind of support.”

Also …

Lamar Odom scored 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting and had sixrebounds and three assists in 41 minutes in the Lakers’ victory against Orlando. … Sasha Vujacic had 10 points and baited Orlando’s J.J. Redick into a technical foul near the end of the half. Vujacic also received a technical foul for their confrontation.

Elliott Teaford covers the Anaheim Ducks for the Orange County Register and the Southern California News Group. He covered the Ducks for 12 years, including the Stanley Cup season, for the Los Angeles Times and the Daily Breeze before returning to the beat in 2018 for SCNG. He also covered the Lakers for five seasons, including their back-to-back NBA championships in 2009 and '10. He once made a jump shot over future Utah Jazz center Mark Eaton during a pickup game in 1980 at Cypress College.